A Familiar Problem
by luckystars327
Summary: Karista has a secret. her pure black cat is not just a pet, he is her familiar! since whatever harm come to her cat will come to her, she does her best to keep her secret. but Hogwarts is a tough place to do that kind of thing.
1. Chapter 1

The Train whistle blew, children and parents swarmed towards the train, last reminders were yelled. Karista looked up and down the platform and gave her father one last nod before entering the crowd around the train. Her pure black cats claws dug into her arm and his icy green eyes looked up at her, She felt his anxiety wash over her body and settle in her stomach. His silky voice broke into her conscious "_Are you sure you want to do this? We were perfectly happy at home… and you were learning tons!_"

"_Happy_?" she replied, "_Lita, we were living in a cage! Yes I'm positive I want to go_!" answering the anxious cat through their connection.

"_Alright…_" he sighed.

She clambered up into the train and walked down the train looking for someone she knew or at least a compartment that wasn't full. Her long gently curling golden hair flowed out behind her as she walked, sun kissed skin played across her soft face beautifully. Someone behind her said some thing, she wasn't quite sure what, but she knew it was about her. She whipped around and turned her delicate almond shaped eyes at a group of boys. They all jumped at the sight of two ghostly silver eyes glaring at them.

In her head, Lita snickered. "_Nice job, your already scaring them away_."

"_Shut up Lita_." She snapped back, she continued her search, soon enough she found a compartment with only three boys in it. Two were first years, for they had no colors, the last looked to be a second or third year. The boy closest to the window was tall and, had flaming red hair, and a rather long nose. The other by the window had messy black hair, broken glasses and emerald green eyes they peered curiously at her. The last boy looked up at her as she entered, his jaw dropped for a split second.

She glared at him challenging him to say something. He averted his eyes for a moment, then looked back at her, challenging her, as if to size her up. His eyes were a deep blue, so deep, she felt like she was going to fall in if she didn't do something soon. She looked at his tie, a Slytherine. His skin was pale, but not too pale, and he also had messy hair, but his was dark brown.

"Mind if I sit here?" she finally managed to say, her Irish accent sounded thick even to her.

"Knock yourself out," Said the Redhead.

She had just sat down when a bushy haired girl with buckteeth appeared. "Have you seen a toad?" she asked.

"_Saw it a little ways back._" Lita thought to Karista.

"_Which way?_" she inquired

"_Left._"

"I saw it a little ways back," Karista told the bushy haired girl. "Just turn left."

"Thanks!" the girl replied flashing a buck toothed smile and bustled off.

"I'm Ron," the red head said. "Ron Weasley and he's Harry…"

"Harry Potter." She cut in, "I know" she turned he eyes to the Slytherine "And you are?"

"I didn't catch your name." He said arrogantly.

She narrowed her eyes. "Karista Aitkin, and I never gave it"

"Well Miss Aitkin," he said "I can already tell Gryffindor is going to have a new fire ball, and I cant help but be jealous, they get all the interesting people."

"Hey!" Ron said.

"He's talking about her…." Harry said.

"Oh." Ron said in a subdued tone.

"Empty flattery." She said.

"And who said so?" asked the Slytherine, raising an eyebrow.

"I did."

"I see, to bad you already loathe me… we could have been such great friends…" he shut his book and stood up and turned towards Harry. "Do stay away from the Malfoy's Harry." He added and swept out saying "Quinn Andrews by the way."

"_What a snob!_" Lita said.

"_I'll say!_" she replied, turning back to face Ron and Harry. They both stared at the spot where he had been a moment before, then looked up at her. "Sorry…" she mumbled. An awkward silence followed.

The bushy haired girl rushed back in and squealed, "we found it!" A short plump boy stood nervously behind her, the bushy girls eyes caught on Lita, "Oh! What's your cat's name? She's so beautiful!" she said.

"_I am a boy!_" He yowled, outraged. He turned his icy green eyes on her; she jumped at the piercing stare.

"His name is Lita." Karista said.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I must have just assumed!"

Lita promptly turned his back on her, "_and you should be sorry._" Karista frowned down at him.

"_Well you do act rather girly… you're so vain!_"

"_Hrmph…_"

"I'm Hermione Granger." The bushy haired girl said

"Karista Aitkin."

"Like… the head auror?"

Karista tensed at her father's mention, "unfortunately, yes." She said curtly.

"Oh." Hermione said, the plump boy tapped her shoulder and they left.

She looked down at Lita. "_Can't you even try to be polite?_"

A jolly first year broke the silence with his Irish accent. "Ay Karista! How's it going? I haven't seen you since last month when we did our school shopping!"

"Seamus!" she said, grinning. "It has been a while, hasn't it? I'm not doing too bad…"

"It's your dad again, isn't it?"

She sighed. "Yeah… he's just so…"

"Frustrating? To the book?"

"Yeah."

XXXXXXX

The Train screeched to a halt, compartment doors flew open everywhere. Excited chatter spilled out from everywhere around her, Karista swept Lita up into her arms once more and joined the others jumping down from the train. The second she jumped down she heard someone yelling "Firs' years! This way!" She followed the voice to an extremely large man. And got wedged into a small boat between the plump boy she's seen on the train and a pale boy with a pointed face and white blonde hair.

"Hello Draco." She said coldly.

"Karista," he said silkily, "I just know your going to be in Slytherine with me."

"Your as arrogant as ever," she said. "And I definitely don't want to be in Slytherine."

"Who wouldn't want to be in Slytherine?" He said "All the real wizarding families go there."

"Is that what they've been teaching you in that dark hole you call a home?" she asked.

He frowned. "And just when I thought we were getting to be friends."

She snorted "Us? Friends? That's the best joke you've ever told, Draco!" she said "I'm only nice to you when Daddies there to protect you." She added nastily. "And don't you dare tell your father! My father could have you unseated in thirty seconds."

Draco opened his mouth as if he had something to say, then closed it promptly. Lita snickered "_he's been asking for that for years!_"

"_Yeah_" she replied looking up the hill to the mountain. The boats lurched to a stop, she leaped onto the shore and laughed when Draco tripped and got his robes soaked up to the knees.

They were led up to the brightly lit castle and told to wait in the great hall. Draco stepped out in front of the crowd, "is it true then? What they've been saying on the train… that Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts?"

The crowd of first years broke out into fervent whispers. "Yes he has." Ron said loudly. ?" Karista fought the urge to slap her forehead, if you haven't known the Malfoys for years its really very stupid to stand up to them.

"Red hair and hand me down robes… you must be a Weasley." Draco said. "You will soon find Potter, that some wizarding families are better than others, I can help you there."

Harry's emerald green eyes met Draco's; "I think I can figure that out for myself." He replied coldly. Karista exhaled, she hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath. Professor Magonagal then entered the great hall and told them to fallow her. They filed into the dining hall and stood marveling the sky like ceiling and the floating candles.

As they waited Karista chanced a glance at the Slytherine table, her eyes caught on Quinn who looked up and grinned at her. She snapped her gaze back to the front where Prof. Magonagal was placing the sorting hat. The butterflies broke free from the cages in her stomach.

"_Stop that!_" Lita ordered. "_You're putting me off my sausage._"

"_And where did you get the food?_"

"_Kitchens! The house elves here are great!_"

She frowned and let the butterflies continue, Lita could deal, he was too spoiled.

"Hannah Abbot?" Prof. Magonagal said.

A timid girl stepped forward, "HUFFLEPUFF!" The hat bellowed.

"Karista Aitkin?" Prof. Magonagal inquired next.

The butterflies rose up to her throat as she approached the hat. "_I thought I told you to stop that!_" Lita broke the silence again as the hat was lowered onto her head.

"_SHUT UP!_" she bellowed at him, but it was too late, the hat knew her secret.

"_You are very unlucky._" Said a rough voice in her head, it was the sorting hat.

"_Why's that?_" she shot back.

"_Don't you know what will happen if your familiar dies?_"

"_Yes_" she answered, tearing up "_I will die with him._"

"_And he will die with you._"

"_I know._" She said.

"_I haven't seen one of your type for over three centuries._" Said the hat "_usually they go mad or kill them selves before they turn 11. Your quite brave to go through that amount of pain._"

"_WILL YOU PICK ALREADY!_" She didn't need another lecture on how careful she needed to be with Lita again. Yes, her mother had given birth to not just a baby girl, but a cat too. It had driven her mad and ultimately killed her. Because of their life long bond, they shared emotions, pain, and thoughts.

"_Fine then._" The hat said grumpily. "GRYFINDOR!" it bellowed. The red and gold table leapt up and roared with applause. She quickly brushed away her tears and looked over to Quinn with a smug look. He looked quite gloomy.

Soon enough all the others had been sorted. Fred and George, Ron's older brothers noticed she seemed upset, so they cracked some jokes about Slytherine. The feast continued merrily but all Karista could think about was what could happen to Lita and herself while they were at school. She picked at her pie, something she would normally devour. What if she couldn't protect him while she was in class?

Her food disappeared at last, the whole hall looked up at Professor Dumbledore, who warned them off the third floor corridor. Ron's other brother Percy told the first years to follow him to the Gryffindor common room, they followed him up the complicated moving staircase the portrait of the fat lady. "Caput Draconus" Percy said. The portrait swung forward to show a cozy looking room with squishy armchairs and a crackling fire.

Karista climbed the stairs to the girl's dormitory with Hermione at her side chattering excitedly. A great feeling a relief flowed through her when she was reunited with Lita. "_First you put me off my sausage and then you make it feel like there are dementors around! Honestly!_" he chided.

"_Hmmmm…_" Karista replied sleepily as she climbed into bed. Lita curled up around her neck and purred until they fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Karista awoke with a start; she'd just had the oddest dream. She was chasing a Quinn faced mouse and every time she pounced him he was just out of reach again, jeering and laughing at her frustration. Sighing, she realized her dreams and Lita's dreams had been getting mixed together again. But why was HE in her dreams? She opened her eyes to find her blankets twisted, Lita opened one eye and looked up at her. "_I'm so glad I sleep near your head, not down there_."

Rolling her eyes she splashed her face in the cold water on her bedside table. _"That's very cold you know."_ Lita said, clearly annoyed as he wrapped his tail over his nose.

She frowned at the irritable cat. "_Good. And don't you dare go to sleep while I'm in class; you know it will make me sleepy. And stay away from sunny patches, I know how they affect you._"

"_Fine._" Lita snapped.

She dressed quickly and bounded down the stairs to find Hermione chatting with Lavender Brown. "Morning." She said pleasantly to the two girls.

Hermione yawned, "Good morning. Have you seen our schedule yet?"

"No, I haven't"

"We've got Transfiguration and Herbology."

"Works for me! Come on, I'm starved! Lets get some breakfast." Karista said. "_Stay with me?_"

"_After that rude wake up call there better be some meat involved._" Lita snarled.

"_Oh get over it._"

"_Not until I get my meat, and some cream now that I think of it._"

Hermione's eyes whizzed back and forth between them, trying to puzzle out the annoyed glares passing between them. They all walked down to breakfast and Lita got his sausage along with a "_spoiled brat._" Whereas he looked up and gave his most piercing glare.

As soon as Lita has gorged himself on the sausage, Karista scooped him up and told Hermione that she'd see her in Herbology. She quickly found her way to the hospital wing and marched up to madam Pomfrey who was organizing potion bottles. "Madam Pomfrey?" she asked, tentatively.

"No animals in here dear."

"Its about him ma'am."

"Then go see prof. Grubly Plank, I don't heal animals."

"It's about BOTH of us." This seemed to grab her attention. "Can we have a privet word?"

"Oh alright. Step into my office." Madam Pomfrey closed the door behind them. "so what is it?"

"If I were to… get hurt, someone would need to find him too."

"Are you saying that…?" Madam Pomfrey face had turned grave and serious.

Karista took a steadying breath. "Yes, Lita is my familiar."

Madam Pomfrey eyed her with a new interest. "How intriguing. In all my years I've only seen one other of your kind. He was six, tried to kill himself, went to Saint Mungo's then died a year later."

Karista broke in. "You speak as if I'm a different species." She said glaring slightly at Madam Pomfrey.

"Of course you aren't! I'm just saying your…"

"Different."

"Yes, different. And it takes a great deal of strength to survive watching you're familiar doing purely animal reactions, especially when you're young. No wonder you were put in Gryffindor!"

Karista bit her lip, hard. "_Ouch._" Lita said. Karista let up.

"I- It didn't drive ME crazy…. But my mother wasn't so lucky." Tears stung Karista's eyes and she angrily brushed them away. "She- she tried to kill Lita. She couldn't handle the fact that she had given birth to a kitten."

Karista's mind gave her a flash back, her mother walking towards Lita with her wand drawn, the crazy look in her eyes, then the fear and her mother falling to her death out the window. Karista clenched her eyes shut and drove away the horrid images.

"I will have no students die under my watch." Madam Pomfrey said. "He will be found."

Karista managed to calm her ragged breathing before leaving, and hurried off to class in the green houses. "_I thought we weren't going to tell anyone about the bond? And you've never talked about what happened with mother before except with me and father._" Lita said.

"_It just came out, and besides… she needed to know… what if..?_" Karista couldn't bring herself to finish the thought.

"_Oh alright then… I suppose she did need to know. Well… if you won't be needing me I'll be going._"

"_Right. I'll see you later then._" She entered the greenhouse quickly and found the one spot left with Neville, Ron, and Harry. She hurried over and murmured, "Got lost." They all nodded their understanding.

"Good!" Prof. Sprout said loudly, "Now that were all here, today well learn about Gillyweed. When the leaves are eaten you can breath underwater! Watch the roots miss brown! We don't want you waking up in the hospital wing! Hit the wrong spot and this plant could prove fatal. The flowers, which bloom above the surface of the water completely detached from the plant, make an excellent gnome attractor. Can't imagine why you would want that though, nasty creatures. Now turn to page seventeen and label what is good and bad for you on a sketch that YOU will draw Mister Finnigan!"

Seamus jumped violently at being caught pulling out a quick sketch quill. He grinned sheepishly and pulled out a normal quill. Karista finished quickly and looked up to see that Neville was almost done too. His sketch was more precise and smooth. All around it looked almost the same as the plant. He looked up when he noticed she was watching. "What?"

"That's a really good sketch Neville. I wish I could draw that well…"

"This? No… it's just…" he trailed off and turned red. Something from this told Karista that Neville didn't get compliments very often. The bell rang and a majority of the class groaned from the unfinished work. Karista quickly worked her way over to Harry and Ron. Ron was talking excitedly and pulling a newspaper out of his bag.

"Gringotts! Robbed!"

Karista's attention suddenly snapped into the conversation. "What! But that practically impossible!"

Ron nodded and started to read, narrowly missing a group of girls as they continued into the great hall for lunch. "Vault number 713 was broken into late on the night of august 25. Luckily the vault had been emptied earlier that day."

"Hang on a second." Harry broke in. "I know that vault. Hagrid and I went there, he emptied it and said it was official Hogwarts business, all that was in there was a grubby little package."

Karista thought hard, had her father been talking to himself about that case? She couldn't recall it. "I could try asking my father about it…"

Ron looked jealous at the mention of her father again. "It's worth a try…" Harry said.

XXXXXXX

Karista and Hermione walked to transfiguration together talking about their Gillyweed projects. "My sketch was horrible!" Hermione screeched, "I always knew I was a bad artist… I just hoped it wouldn't show or I wouldn't need it here…"

Magonagal was in the next doorway waiting for her class; under her stern face they quieted down and found their seats. Once the whole class was there she gave them a stern talk about how there would be no messing around in her classroom. She then gave them all matches to turn into needles. Within half an hour, Hermione's has turned mildly metallic and tapered slightly.

Karista called out through the connection, _Lita… are you there?_

_Yes. _His curt reply made her feel like shed interrupted something, or maybe it was just him.

_I need you… spells…._

_Lovely. _He trotted discreetly through the door a moment later and brushed her leg. Karista instantly relaxed, to her surprise, so did Lita. _You interrupted my sausage again._

_You're going to get fat while we're here aren't you?_ He didn't answer so she tried the spell again. The match shifted into a tiny metallic needle, but it had no hole. Professor Magonagal spotted it and picked it up to examine it.

"It has no hole, but this is what I want to see. 10 points to Gryffindor."

Karista bit her lip, half with pride and half with embarrassment. Hermione's eyes narrowed and flicked to Lita then back to her match. As soon as the clock struck three the exclaimed "I'm off to the library!" and bolted out of the room. A wave of unease spread over her.

_Don't look now. _Lita's voice popped up again, _But Magonagal is coming our way!_

_-What? _Karista spun around to herself face to face with Professor Magonagal.

She took a steadying breath as Magonagal asked "a word, if I may?" All Karista could do was nod and follow her to her office. "Would you mind telling me what happened back there? You were doing quite poorly until this cat showed up."

Karista swallowed then said. "I don't think I should tell you. Father told me not to tell anyone."

Magonagal's eyes turned harder, almost with frustration. "Then perhaps you can tell Professor Dumbledore."

Lita stiffened. _We're doomed. He's going to tell everyone._

_We don't know that._

They followed Professor Magonagal to a gargoyle where she said "sherbert lemon." Then gestured for them to go up.

Karista climbed the stairs for what felt like an eternity. When she got to the top she nervously opened the door to see Dumbledore smiling at the sorting hat and saying "I see."

He looked up. "Ah! Just the person I wanted to see!" he gestured to the chair in front of him. "I was just speaking with my old friend about you. It seemed you were trying to hide something from him last night." He looked at her over his half moon spectacles. "Now I see I was worried about nothing."

Karista blinked, confused. _How did he know I was trying to hide you?_

_ I don't know, but it sets my whiskers on edge._

"So why are you here?" Dumbledore continued.

"Professor Magonagal sent me."

"Why? Did you talk back to her? In that case she would have just given you a detention and been done with it."

Karista shook her head. "No, I wouldn't tell her about Lita. You see, I can't do some things without him."

Dumbledore sighed, "I'm going to have to tell your teachers about him you know." She bristled as he said this. "Oh don't worry, it only so you will have access to him during class."

"I guess that makes sense…" she said.

"They will tell no one. In the mean time, I want you to take extra lessons with me so you can learn how to do magic with Lita at a distance.

XXXXXXXX

At dinner Hermione was struggling over a giant book tiled "Famous cats of the last 100 centuries."

Lita took one look and said_ who knew there were famous cats?_

Karista smiled and turned to Hermione, "what are you reading that for?"

Hermione jumped violently and stuffed the book into her bag quickly. "Nothing I was just curious."

_That was odd. _Lita said.

_Yeah…_

XXXXXXXX

Lita ran off quickly when Karista started her transfiguration essay. She was halfway through when she got interrupted by a rude musical sound from the doorway. She jumped and looked up to see Fred playing a deformed and badly tuned bagpipe type of thing. "Just nicked it from Filches office!" George said. He grabbed Karista's hands and pulled her up leading her into a wild and sped up waltz. She finally managed to drop back into her chair a while later, completely out of breath. George then pulled up Angelina and began the dance all over again.

As soon as Fred completely ran out of breath to play the instrument they began pairing people to animals. "Percy!" Fred cried out. "Is a cat! He walks around being all high and mighty, but as soon as he does something wrong it's 'I meant to do that.'" Karista laughed especially because Lita did that all the time.

_I really don't see what's so funny. _Lita sniffed.

"Or maybe, Percy is a turkey!" George said

"Yeah." Fred continued "he's quiet until something goes wrong and then…" Fred and George exploded into turkey noises. The entire common room burst out laughing because they knew it was true. Fred suddenly jumped as he saw Percy in the doorway, red with anger.

"Bed. Now. Everyone, we have classes tomorrow." The entire common room rolled their eyes and began gathering their things; Percy was such a spoilsport.

Karista finally finished her essay and climbed up to bed. She yawned and fell asleep with Lita curled up at her neck.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Karista moved slowly down to breakfast, half asleep, only to be told they were starting with charms. The worried butterflies rose in her stomache once again at the chance of being discovered. "Are you okay?" Ron Inquired, "You look a bit peaky."

"Fine." She mumbled grabbing some toast and hurrying away to find the charms room. Proffeseur Flitwick was at his desk sitting atop a stack of rather large books.

He looked up and squeaked excitedly. "Your miss Aitkin's aren't you!"

"yes… sir." She replied awkwardly.

"Can I see your farmiliar?" Lita walked up cautiously. "A cat, how appropriate."

"Sir?"

He smiled, "You're in Gryffindor, the lions."

"Oh! I never thought of it that way!"

"Well not to worry my dear girl. I've put you in the back of the room."

"thank you." Karista murmured.

"Oh, no no! Its my pleasure I've always wanted to see a real farmiliar learn how to work the arts." He squeaked

Karista only nodded and pushed the frustration of being treated differently down again. She didn't have nearly as bad as Harry did. Everyone pointed and whispered at him in the halls, That wasn't happening to her. _Yet._ Lita popped into her thoughts.

_Were you listening in again?_

_Perhaps._

_Can I ever get some privacy in my life?_

_Can I?_ Karista ignored the guilty stab this gave her and frowned at him. _You might as well get over it. Were stuck together for life. _He continued.

_Unless we want to be tranquil. _They shuddered together.

_No emotions, no Pain or feeling of any kind. Is there really a point in living anymore? I think its worse than a dementors kiss. _Lita sighted and dropped onto her foot.

Ron and Harry entered the room and Ron sat down next to her. "Hey."

"hi" she muttered, really not in the mood to talk, as she was trying to figure out how to keep Lita from view for two and a half hours.

"So how about that gillyweed essay?"

"done, and it was a bloody pain." She said curtly.

"That was fast." Ron said

She shrugged un-conversationaly.

The bell came to the rescue and people began to flood in. Flitwick welcomed them all and began to talk about simple household type charms, like levitation. They were put to work on one quickly. By the end of class only Hermione had gotten her feather to float a couple of inches and Seamus had blown his eyebrows off, again.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Potions. Karista knew Harry wasn't looking forward to this, but she was. She already knew all of the simplest potions because she had made them, and used them. Professor Snape rapped out role and he paused at her name, eyes flicking to her feet. She met his jet black eyes, daring him to ask where Lita was; he immediately went back to his list.

"Potter." He said softly, "our new celebrity." She heard Malfoy at the table in front of her snicker. As soon as roll was finished Snape launched into a speech about what the best potions masters could do and Karista felt a rush of excitement. "Potter!" Snape snapped suddenly causing the class to jump violently. "What would I get if I mixed powdered root of asphodel with an infusion of worm wood?"

Karista lazily raised her hand as Harry said, "I don't know sir." Hermione's hand shot into the air with the speed of a bullet.

Snape's mouth curled into a sneer. "Fame isn't everything, where would I a bezoar?"

Malfoy shook with laughter now as Harry said, "I don't know sir." Karista fixed her ghostly silver eyes on the back of Malfoy's head, Hermione rose out of her seat a bit with her hand strait in the air.

"What is the difference between monkshood and wolfs bane?" Hermione jumped out her seat, arm still strait in the air.

"I don't know, but I think Hermione does sir." Snape's empty black eyes bored into Harry's eyes and the entire class shifted nervously around.

"Sit down Granger." He said acidly, he then finally looked up. "Anyone else have a clue? Aitkins?"

"Asphodel and worms wood make a very powerful sleeping potion known as sleeping death, a bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and will serve as an antidote to most poisons, and monkshood and wolfs bane are the exact same plant."

Snapes empty eyes hovered on her for a moment before saying "very good Aitkins, you would have done well in Slytherin." Karista barely fought down the urge to roll her eyes, Snape continued, "three points for correct answers, however five points lost for cheek potter."

The rest of class was spent taking notes on the boil-curing potion they would be doing in their next class. Class finally ended and the entire class trudged out for some well-earned time to do whatever they pleased. Ron and Harry caught up to her quickly only to have an unpleasantly silky voice come up behind her. "So Blondie, I heard Snapes taken a likeing to you."

Karista wheeled around at top speed. "And what's it to you?" she snapped at Quinn's chest. She had always been a bit on the small side, but she hadn't really realized how tall Quinn was last night.

"Snape is hardly ever nice to a Gryffindor, told you you were going to be in Gryffindor by the way."

Karista opened her mouth to speak but Ron beat her to it. "Why don't you just leave her alone? Its pretty obvious she doesn't want to talk to you."

Quinn's face curled into an odd smile, "so you've got yourself a boy friend."

Karista's temper flared up and Ron turned bright red. "Your right! He is my friend, and he's a boy! Someday Quinn, your going to pull your head out of your ass and see the world like the rest of us!" She grabbed Ron's arm and dragged him towards the Great hall, Quinn watched her leave calmly, but Karista knew that had gotten under his skin.

Lita lightly jumped up onto her shoulder, _you always did know how to shut them down._ She reached up and scratched his ears, Lita looked over at Ron and exploded into amused purring in her ear, _Ron's looking at you like your going to explode at any moment. _They sat down at the Gryffindor table.

"Thanks Ron." Karista finally managed to say

He jumped violently at the sudden calm in her voice, "Huh? Yeah no problem." He mumbled back.

XXXXXXXX

To Karista's greatest horror, Gryffindor had flying lessons with Slytherin. No longer was it only one class that she had to deal with Malfoy, but that was not the cause of the knot of panic settling in her stomach. It was impossible for her to fly without Lita.

She walked slowly down to the grass trying to put off the lesson as long as possible. She was easily one of the last students to arrive. Madame Hooch surveyed her class through hawk like eyes. "Well what are you waiting for?" she barked suddenly. "Put your dominant hand over your broom and say 'up'. Remember it takes force though."

Harry's broom zoomed into his hand at his first attempt, and hers remained solidly on the ground, rather like a boulder. "Mount your brooms." Madam Hooch continued with her orders. Everyone obeyed immediately, her hawkish eyes locked on Malfoy, "You've been doing it wrong for years." She told him "Now." She continued to the class. "On my whistle, kick off, hover for a moment then lean forward to touch back down."

Suddenly Neville was rising like a cork in water, the entire class watched, apparently transfixed. Neville's white, terrified, face rose higher and higher, when suddenly he slipped off the broom, landing on the ground with a sickening crunch. "Everyone will keep their feet firmly on the ground while I take Longbottom to the hospital wing." With that Madam Hooch swept off with Neville.

Malfoy sneered as he picked up a clear orb from the grass, "Did you see his face? The great lump." The other Slytherin's quickly joined in on his laughter.

"Shut up Malfoy." Parvati said.

"Ooohh… Sticking up for Longbottom? Never thought you'd fall for the fat ones."

"What do you think Karista? Should I hide it to see if Longbottom can find it? If he even remembers he owns it!" The Slytherin's howled with laughter.

"Give it here Malfoy." Harry said, stepping forward from all the other Gryffindors.

"No." Malfoy said. "But if you can get it from me maybe." He jumped onto his broom and took off.

"Don't do it!" Hermione cried shrilly as Harry mounted his own broom.

"Knock him off his broom." Karista said maliciously. She knew Malfoy was just looking for attention; it was part of the reason she couldn't stand him. Watching Harry take off was kind of like watching a bird shortly after learning to fly, he was shaky, but in control. Malfoy looked scared as Harry charged him, he quickly threw the little clear orb in the other direction. Harry flipped around quickly and raced in the other direction, catching the orb only inches from the grass.

He landed softly only to be surrounded by Gryffindor all patting him on the back and saying how brilliant that was. "HARRY POTTER!"

Professor Magonagal's voice rang out across the pitch. Karista watched them go back towards the castle, her heart sinking at the thought of Harry being expelled.

"He just can't be expelled." She whispered to herself, "He only just came back to our world."

"I know." Ron said

Suddenly a rush of relief passed over her in a wave, she would not have to try to fly without Lita today. "So who's your team?" Ron said suddenly, changing the subject.

"Belfast Banshee's"

"Favorite for three years running, taking championship twice?"

"That would be them," she replied as they started back towards the castle. "And no I'm not following them because they are a favorite, I live in Belfast. Who's your team?"

He grinned, "Chudley Cannon's." Karista fought the urge to giggle; the Chudley Cannon's were one of the worst in the league. "Yeah yea, I know." He said grinning again. "They've got good players, but they can't seem to work as a team."

They had just sat down to eat when Harry ran in grinning from ear to ear. "So I take it your not getting expelled?" Karista asked.

"No!" Harry said. "I'm on the quidditch team!"

"Blimey!" Ron said. "You must be the youngest player of-"

"The century!" Harry broke in again. "Wood told me."

"I can't wait to see the look on Draco's face." Karista said. But apparently he already knew, because he chose that moment to saunter over.

"Made it onto the riffraff team Potter?"

"Lay off him Malfoy." Karista said, teeth barred, she fought off the urge to hiss. Obviously Lita's feelings were rising up.

Malfoy ignored her and continued, "Lets finish this. Tonight, wizards duel, midnight in the trophy room. Crab's my second, who is yours?"

"Me." Karista cut across Ron who had been about to answer. Malfoy looked shocked but swaggered away all the same.

"Why'd you do that?" Ron inquired.

"Because I hate him more than you can possibly imagine." Karista answered as Lita jumped onto the bench next to her and she gave him bit of ham. Ron then set out to educate Harry about quidditch and Karista joined in, although the conversation was a whole lot more entertaining to her with Lita's sarcastic comments popping up in her head.

XXXXXXX

It was 11:30 and Karista sat in the common room waiting for Harry. When he finally came down Ron was with him. They quickly rushed through the portrait hole when they heard someone coming down the stairs. Somehow they made it to the trophy room without getting caught. Lita sat in the corridor and kept watch, not that Ron or Harry knew that. Harry kept nervously checking his watch. 12:15. _FILCH!_ Lita screamed.


End file.
